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Shiatsu foot massagers are the go to device these days for just about anyone with blood circulation issues or anyone that experiences foot pain. The Shiatsu massage itself has been around longer than acupuncture and is a highly valued technique used worldwide. So it makes complete sense that anyone that experiences foot related problems wants to seek out the best Shiatsu foot massager machines.

In the reviews below, you can find four of my personal favorite foot massaging devices that use this magic massage style known as Shiatsu. Are they as good as the real therapist rubbing your feet?. Probably not. But they sure are close to the next best thing and once you buy one, you have relief on hand 24/7.

Followed by the reviews you can find some useful information regarding the safety of use when using a foot massager and the principals behind the Shiatsu massage style. The models chosen below have been done so by the work of many researchers, reviewers and my own personal preference. There is a variety of types to choose from to suit people with small feet and also larger feet people. While also considering the fact some people demand a foot massager incorporates the calf muscles into the treatment. So I have you guys covered there too. Hope you enjoy.

 

Compare The Best Shiatsu Foot Massagers

My #1 Recommendation – Cloud Massage

The medical grade Cloud Massage Shiatsu foot massager is my number one go to device. It utilizes Shiatsu, vibration, pressure and heat therapy all in one. The best part about the Cloud massage is that it encapsulates your whole foot, so your heel gets in on the action as well.

Shiatsu means ‘finger pressure’ and has been around longer than acupuncture. It’s an ancient form of traditional massage and one that can stimulate the course of pain relief from your feet throughout your body. So in order to be effective, the Cloud Massage needs to apply pressure in all the right spots.

Which it does. Some people have spent thousands on finding ways to help relieve their conditions and it’s not until they discover Shiatsu that the answer are really revealed. For the cost of just a couple massage therapist visits, you can get your feet into one of the best Shiatsu foot massagers without needing to make regular appointments with your therapist.

What Makes The Cloud Massage The Best Shiatsu Massager For Your Feet?

The thing that first caught my attention was the fact you can lay down while using this foot massager. It’s not a set vertical device like many others. With the Cloud Massage you can adjust the bar so that you can set the massager up on the angle of your choice.

With many other devices you need to have your knees bent at a 90° angle or be standing upright to use, which can be uncomfortable after some time. But with the cloud massage you can adjust the angle of the support bar so that the actual foot capsules where you put your feet are on an angle. My favorite position is when I’m relaxing in my recliner with my legs out straight and getting a much earned foot massage. Without this unique adjustable bar, this would not be possible. I would have to be sitting upright in a chair with my legs on the floor.

Does More Than Just The Feet

Because of this unique adjustable bar, you can set the massager upright. What this means it you can massage the back of your calves like never before. This is just an amazing experience to have after a tough day at work. We all stand on our feet for multiple hours a day and the stress this causes on our body is intense. So having a foot massager that can not only give me the best foot massage ever, but also work the calves is incredible.

Once your feet are inside the massager they are not locked into position either. So you can move your foot up and down to let the rolling shiatsu massaging nodes hit the areas under your toes and even on your heal/ankle. Not all device allow you the freedom to move your feet into the position so you can pretty much pin point where you need massaged.

What The Cloud Massage Shiatsu Offers

• Rolling Shiatsu Massage – Strong and effective. a very good deep kneading massage that reaches the arches of your feet.
• Vibration Massage – Soothing
• Heat Therapy – Soft yet calming
• Air Pressure Massage – Very intense.
• 1 year motor warranty
• Medical grade. Difference being the Cloud Massage has been scientifically designed in a way that it maximizes the restriction of blood vessels through the slow release of heat therapy and the deep tissue foot massage.
• Multiple modes to choose from including air pressure only.

Overall It’s My Top Rated Foot Massager

It’s very hard to choose just one as the best when you consider that so many people have many different needs. But I have rated the Cloud Massage the best based on the effectiveness and uniqueness of the foot massager.

If you have experiences other machines in the past and felt they lacked some oomph, then the Cloud Massage is a good choice. You feel everything and the air pressure massage is just insane. So I do recommend starting out at a lower setting (5 levels of pressure intensity) to get use to the pressure. The air pressure gives amazing side of the foot massages than many other models lack.

But the true winners behind this design is the adjustable bar and the fact you can move your feet around. This gives you the complete control over the foot massage. As well as choosing the settings that you like from the options is just unbeatable.

 

Best Foot And Calf Massager With Shiatsu

If you liked the idea of the above Cloud Massage model but felt you need to target your calves and your feet at the same time, then it’s time you get comfortable with the Reflex-4 by Human Touch. This massager takes the foot massage to a whole new level.

Being different to the Cloud Massage in that you can’t move your feet backwards to get right under the toes (if you have big feet), yet still able to slide your foot forward to get maximum pressure on the heel. But this is not completely necessary as the Reflex-4 is unique in that it does the ankle along with the calves at the same time as your feet. But if you choose to slide your heels forward more to get a more intense shiatsu massage, it’s possible.

Whats So Special About The Reflex-4

So you can see that it’s a different design to the Cloud Massage, but does this make it better?. Yes and no. It really depends on your personal situation. Having the calves massaged is amazing, but not always necessary. So if you prefer a more foot focused machine, the Cloud Massage is the way to go.

However, where the Reflex-4 shines higher is with it’s unique ‘figure 8’ feature. This features encourages blood to circulate that could become ‘pooled‘ due to poor circulation. This is achieved via the massaging effects of flowing the blood from the feet up the calves and allowing fresh blood to circulate back down bringing nutrients and oxygen to the feet.

The calves get massaged with the intention of a upward motion that would resemble a wave forming over the ocean. The massage is pushing the old blood back up to the heart for circulation with new fresh blood to be dispersed into the feet and again passed through the calf muscles. The massage feels like a squeeze sensation which grabs onto your leg and rolls upwards until it releases.

A Few Details You Need To Know

• Calf opening is 5 inches wide. Massage area is 4.5″ wide.
• Can be considered less painful than a typical shiatsu massager. So better for sensitive feet.
• The size of the boot fits up to a Mens size 14.
• Calf massage rolls up the calves from the base of your foot to a maximum of 12 inches. Boot comes up your leg 13 inches.
• Has a tilt stand for creating a angle of about 30 degrees. Not as flexible as the Cloud Massage device.
• 4 types of massage modes including 2 Shiatsu modes.
• Non slip grips to keep the device firm on the floor without slipping.
• Convenient carry handle for transporting from room to room.
• Considerably quite for a massager.
• Plugs into a 110 volt power outlet.

Is The Reflex-4 For You

While the Reflex-4 is certainly unique in a few ways, it’s still missing a couple of crucial ingredients for me. They are heat and vibration massage. I’m a big advocate of the benefits of heat therapy in combination with massage.

However, some people prefer the intense air pressure and shiatsu massage the Reflex-4 offers. Especially any athletes or people that go for daily walks/runs. The calf massager is out of this world in that respect. But if you are here solely for a foot massager, I would recommend the Cloud Massage over the Reflex-4 as it offers a more detailed and intense foot massage with greater options to move your feet backwards. Without taking anything away from the Reflex-4, as a whole it’s a great massaging tool.

 

Human Touch Reflex 4 Video Review

If you are concerned about the size and amount of noise the Reflex 4 foot massager may make, this short video review is very helpful. It’s a real look at what to expect when you buy one of these machines.

 

Shiatsu Foot Massage Machine With Infrared Heat

After reading my post on the best infrared foot massagers you will get a better understanding as to why infrared is so important in the recovery process. From the list comes this device by Nekteck. It’s one of the better foot massagers that uses actual infrared energy and not just your conventional heat that offers warmth without the benefits of infrared.

This Nekteck foot massager is a different design to the rest on this page. It doesn’t utilize the air pressure massage, but instead it focuses more on Shiatsu and infrared. The infrared alone is worth the affordable price tag on this device.

What infrared does is sends an invisible (to the human eye) energy wave deep within the foot. Up to 2 inches deep, which in comparison to normal heat is about 1-2 inches deeper!. Infrared heats up the inner core of your foot which gets all the good stuff going like it should be. Any pooled up blood will quickly gets circulated back up the leg and to the heart for a fresh batch of oxygenated blood to come back down.

Once the fresh blood arrives into your feet, the tired, stresses and aching muscles, joints and tissues start healing. The extra oxygen and nutrients that have been freshly circulated get to work on repairing nerve endings, scar tissue, constricted muscles etc. Having a powerful tool like infrared in any device is just amazing for circulation and muscle problems.

What You Need To Know About The Nekteck

• Has adjustable feet so that you can alter the angle slightly to better suit your sitting style (3 levels of height to choose from). However nowhere near as adjustable as the Cloud Massage machine.
• Ample amount of shiatsu style massage nodes. In total there are 18 rotating massaging nodes over 6 heads. 3 nodes on each head and 3 heads on each foot for complete shiatsu carnage.
• Infrared heat as described above. The heat can be turned off or on when using the massage mode.
• The functions button is located in the middle on the side closest to your legs. So changing functions means you don’t need to bend down to your toes, or you could simply use your big toe to change settings.

It’s a Great Shaistu Foot Machine But..

While I think the Nekteck foot massager is a brilliant device because it offers infrared heat, there’s just one area it may be lacking. This will only apply to some folks, the ones with high arches in their feet. With the Nekteck it’s hard to angle your foot so that your arches get full contact with the nodes. That is if you have high arches. Even tho you can move your foot freely around the surface, there’s no way to leverage your foot to the right angle to get into the high arches.

But if you have normal arches (what is normal these days), then this is of no concern at all. Even still, the infrared energy will still pass through your foot and circulate blood as it should. When combined with the awesome and intense shiatsu massage nodes you get one heck of a foot workout. Highly recommended for the infrared and Shiatsu modes.

 

Premium Quality Foot Massager For Smaller Feet

As I have mentioned some massagers suitable for people with larger feet, I thought it’s only fair to give someone with smaller feet a suitable option. No point wasting extra space if you have size 9 feet in a size 14 massaging device right?.

Which leads me to the Mynt Shiatsu foot massager. This thing is pure quality and is very professional looking. It does the whole nine yards on your feet and best of all it’s appropriately priced.

In regards to shoe sizes that are appropriate, the Mynt states a Us size 10.5, but this doesn’t declare Men or Womens. However I have been informed that a Mens Us size 11 and a Womens Us size 12 can fit into the Mynt massager.

Types Of Massage The Mynt Offers

Being a shiatsu machine, you get quite a good strong massage. The bottom of your feet get a good work over. The Mynt also comes in a ‘Tapping Shiatsu‘ style of massager which has 22 nodes to tap into the pressure points on the bottom of your feet.

Air pressure massages the tops of your feet as well as the sides. So you get the complete foot massage experience with the air pressure massage. By default the foot massager starts the pressure on the lowest setting. Which is highly recommended when you first start out. This is displayed via the green light.

However, if you want to up the level of intensity you can tap the button for blue or red. Red being the highest level of intensity. The 3 massage modes are Soothe, Refresh and Energize. Listed in order of intensity. I find the Refresh mode perfect and the energize mode a little too full on. But maybe you like to have it hard and rough on your feet?. Then energize would be a suitable massage.

The Mynt also uses heat as a part of the shiatsu massage treatment. Which can be turned off at your command. But it’s not infrared, so treat it more like a soothing heat massage which is perfect for those cooler nights.

Wrapping It Up

I find the Mynt foot massager a good alternative to the Cloud Massage if you’re on a tighter budget. While it lacks in the adjustable foot bar area, it’s a pretty decent build overall. The construction is quite solid and heavy which is good as it means it doesn’t slide all over the floor while using. It’s relatively quite too for a foot massager.

However, it does exclude people with larger feet, so the Cloud Massage device would be the go to option for Men over size 11 and Women over size 12 feet. But if you have a size 11 or under, you’re going to love the extra long cord, the wash-ability of the interior suede like lining and how relieving this foot massager can be.

 

Are Electric Foot Massagers Good For You

Deciding to take the plunge and spend a good amount of money on a foot massager can be quite daunting. As you have just seen, there are some high quality machines available these days. So it’s quite normal to wonder if electric foot massagers are good for you and your feet.

The first thing to understand is that a massaging device like this is intended to soothe tired aching muscles and increase blood circulation primarily. They are not intended to be a alternative treatment for medical attention. They can be used as a additional at home therapy device, but it’s always important to consult your doctor if you have serious health concerns before using any type of electrical device on your body.

While there are many top rated neuropathy foot massagers on the market, it’s still advisable to consult your Doctor first. While many Doctors will often recommend a FDA approved foot massager, it’s essential to get the go ahead from them first.

Especially if you are over 50 and want to know if it’s safe to use a electrical foot massage machine. As we get older more and more health concerns arise. Such as neuropathy and Diabetes or diabetic neuropathy. Or you could have sensory issues in your lower legs from an injury or a recent disease. In times like this you should always consult your doctor before use.

You should also avoid using an electric foot massager, especially the shiatsu massage when you have skin abrasions, tears, new stitches, inflamed or swollen joints as the roughness of the shiatsu could potentially make the condition worse.

But on the whole, if you buy a quality Shiatsu foot massager like the models listed above and you don’t suffer serious health conditions, it’s generally a safe choice. But if you experience severe discomfort you should immediately discontinue use. However, it is worth noting that some Shiatsu massagers are quite brutal when first starting out. So you need to distinguish between uncomfortable pain cause from the Shiatsu massage, or pain that is a direct result of using the machine which s not related to a hard massage.

What Exactly Is A Shiatsu Foot Massage?

A shiatsu massage can be quite intense when compared to a more soothing vibration massage. Especially on the feet. The feet have pressure points which correlate with the organs and various regions of the body. These pressure points of the feet can reduce pain associated in various areas of the body. This is known as Reflexology foot massage.

So in order to hit these pressure points, you need to really get in deep into the foot muscles. Which is why a Shiatsu massage can feel too hard on your first few attempts. But this is quite normal, so don’t be alarmed (unless you have health concerns as mentioned above).

During a regular Shiatsu massage controlled by a therapist, you can expect to be prodded and jabbed with fingers, thumbs, knuckles palms and even the knees with intense pressure. Your feet can also be used in the Shiatsu massage on larger areas of the body. The idea is to get in and press on these pressure points and stimulate other related systems of your body. It’s quite amazing how massaging your feet (toe to be precise) can help relieve a toothache.

How A Foot Massage Machine Compares To A Real Person

The Shiatsu massage in comparison to using a foot massage machine is slightly more defined. But for a machine operated device, a quality Shiatsu foot massaging tool is certainly impressive. The closed finger fist formation used by therapists is resembled through the rolling kneading feature of these machines.

The sides of the feet which are normally massaged by a therapists fingers and thumb which are rolled back and forth is resembled by a foot massager in the air pressure massage. Which also massages the tops of your feet with build up pressure and releasing sensations.

The main difference, besides being able to talk to a real person, is getting in between the toes. A human has this massage won hands down. Literally, a foot massager device lacks the capabilities to massage between the toes as effectively as a real person could.

Benefits Of Using A Shiatsu Massager On The Feet

It’s common knowledge that a foot massage will wipe away the days stress. After a long day on your feet there is simply nothing better than a good foot massage. Reducing your stress levels can also help to lower blood pressure. But what other benefits does a foot massage machine bring, in particular the Shiatsu massage style.

1. Primarily increased blood circulation. Which you may think ‘big deal, more blood’. But the truth is. lack of blood circulation from conditions like Diabetes and Neuropathy have a drastic effect on your lower body half. When there is a sever lack of blood flowing, nerve endings can die and you can lose sensation in the associated regions.
2. Better heart health as a result of improved blood circulation.
3. Pain Relief is the most obvious benefit. With the increase in blood flow, damaged tissues, nerves and muscles receive more oxygen and healing nutrients. This is how we heal from tired and sore feet. Because massage opens up blood vessels and allows blood to flow more freely, your feet can start recovering from the hard days word your feet have done.
4. A Shiatsu foot massager can benefit your lymphatic system which is used to clear toxins and boost your immune system.
5. Infrared foot massaging devices can also increase the benefits associated with heat therapy.
6. General health and well being from being relaxed.

Would You Like Vibration With Your Shiatsu Massage?

One of the reasons these are the top rated foot massagers on the market is because they incorporate vibration massage into the foot and leg machine as well. So not only are you getting the benefits of Shiatsu massage as mentioned above, but you also get the benefits of a vibrations massage (and heat therapy too).

While it’s easy to be skeptical when someone says ‘wow this product is amazing’ and so on, the first sign of a quality massage product is whether or not it is used by professional therapist. While you may think vibration is only a massage offered by the likes of machines, it’s in fact not. Professional therapists do vibration massages. So it’s a very good sign when a product can emulate what a therapist is capable of doing.

Some vibration foot machines can cost in excess of $1000. That is without the Shiatsu foot massage. None of the products listed on this page are at such high price points. So that is something to be less skeptical about.

Is A Foot Massage Machine Worth Buying

With the right conditions and the right product, a vibration & Shiatsu foot massager can offer you the benefits you need. But at the end of the day, it’s you that decides yes or no. Do you want to pursue a man made device to replace a real person therapist?. Or perhaps cut back on the expensive treatments and invest in a one time purchase for something you can use daily without paying extra.

The results are there, the benefits are real and the massage is effective. If you are beyond skeptical and have crossed the point of no return, there are other non electric foot massagers available. So don’t end your search now. Relief can be found.

But if you like the idea of sitting back and relaxing on the sofa, your office chair or even out on the deck while unwinding from a hard days work, a electric foot massager is the right tool for the job.